Kansas women clips Lady Raiders in poll

DALLAS (Special) - Kansas was picked to unseat Texas Tech as Big 12 women's basketball champion in the 1998-99 preseason poll of the league's head coaches announced Monday.

The Jayhawks return their entire starting lineup from the team that was the league's only NCAA Sweet 16 participant last season. KU junior Lynn Pride, a 6-foot-2 guard, was selected by the coaches as the league's preseason player of the year.

Lady Raider post Angie Braziel, a 6-foot-3 senior and one of four returning Tech starters, joins Pride on the preseason All-Big 12 team.

Phylesha Whaley, a 5-10 junior forward from Slaton and a standout at Oklahoma, is also on the preseason team. Guards Lara Webb from Baylor and Stacy Frese complete the honor squad.

Olga Firsova, a 6-6 junior center from Kiev, Ukraine, is the coaches' choice for newcomer of the year. She is a junior college transfer from Weatherford College who plays at Kansas State.

Colorado newcomer Britt Hartshorn, a 6-4 center, is the freshman of the year.

Kansas and Tech were ranked first and second, respectively, by the coaches, followed by Baylor, Iowa State and Nebraska in the top five.